Okay, first off, stilllll don't own anything South of Nowhere related.

A/N: I'm so sorry. I've been ridiculously busy, and kinda uninspired.

Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who's read and reviewed, and asked me to keep going with this, because you're really the reason I am.

We spend the next hour on that couch. Just laying there, listening to her breathing, feeling her fingers run through my hair. When her breathing is deep and steady, and her fingers have stopped moving, I gently disentangle my body from hers. I carefully -so as not to wake her- pull myself off the couch.

I'd stay if I could, but I can't. Not if I want to do this anyway. From under the coffee table, I grab a phonebook. I flip through until I find the number I need, scribble it down, and replace the phonebook. I tiptoe into my bedroom, glancing over my shoulder at Ashley's sleeping form as I do so.

I dial the number, and speak quietly into the phone when a man answers. With a smile, I hang up. I tiptoe back into the other room. I sit beside her sleeping form, and stroke her hair. Leaning down, I kiss her forehead and whisper "time to get up, sleepyhead," in her ear.

Confused, her bleary eyes open partway, and her eyebrows come together. "Hngggg?" is the noise that comes from her mouth.

Holding back laughter, I say "C'mon, get up," softly.

"Whyyyyyy?" She queries, a little more coherent, but also a little whinier.

"Because! We've got things to do!"

"What? Since when? Can't we just sleep?"

"Up, up, up!"

"Let me sleep for ten more minutes?"

"Nope! C'mon, pleaseeeee?"

"Fine."

She begins to drag her tired form off the couch. Impatiently, I pull her up. She stretches and yawns, her shoulders cracking. Her adorable face scrunches as she yawns, and I feel my lips being pulled upwards.

"Do I look okay?" She asks, turning to me.

I look her up and down, an exaggerated expression of concentration on my face. Of course she looks okay; I didn't even need to look to be able to tell her she looks incredible. "I guess it'll have to do," I say jokingly. She sticks her tongue out at me.

"So where are we going anyway?"

"It's a super-secret surprise," I wink.

I take her hand in mine, and lead her to my beat up old car, ignoring her pleas to be told what we're doing and where we're going. It's incredible, just being able to do this: hold her hand.

As I drive, the car falls silent. I'm completely lost in thought. What are we? Are we together? I want to know, but I really don't want to ask. I feel like if I do, I'll lose it. I'll lose whatever we have. I don't want that. I don't want that at all.

I guess I'll just have to show her that I want a relationship, and hope she does too.

A/N: Gosh, I know this was incredibly short. Sorry it wasn't worth the months of wait. It's a start though, and I promise I'll keep going and never leave it so long again. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible, and it'll be longer.